Chapter from book “Forever with Master, vol. 1” by Dr Harbhajan Singh
July 6, 1974 With Master at Rajpur Road
As per instruction of Baba Jaimal Singh within I went to see Master in Dehradun on July 6, 1974 in the morning. I requested Master, ‘You should not take allopathic medicine, since You do not suffer from a bronchial allergy. If You take it, the lungs will not supply enough oxygen to the brain, and Your body will get very hot.’ Master replied, ‘Since you stopped my medicine, I will come to your house’, and He repeated these words three times. Since I could not understand the meaning I remained silent. Then I said, ‘Master, You should rely more on homeopathic and ayurvedic medicine and take those medicines.’ Master called Tai Ji there and said,
‘You always worry about my health,
take it for granted that I will get healthy
after one and a half month.’
(Note: July 6, to August 21, it was one and a half month.)
After this I begged leave to go back to Amritsar and I bowed down to Master’s holy feet. Withdrawing His feet. He immediately laid His hand close to my heart. I pressed His hand to my heart and started to weep bitterly. At once a voice touched my ears which told me, ‘Bowing down to Masters feet is finished, now you need His hand (help).’ I started to weep more bitterly; it was beyond my control and thought. Master asked me to raise the head and see into His eyes, and I did so. I saw a fresh and green two-leaved jasmine with two flowers in His hand. He gave it to me and said, ‘This is for both of you. This is the everlasting Parshad which Master gives only one time during His life.’
Birthday of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, July 27
On July 26 – 28, 1974 Sant Kirpal Singh Ji held the Rastrya Sant Samagam (National convocation of saints). Swami Sarvagya Muni, Swami Govinda Parkash, Swami Ved Vyasa Nand Ji and Lama Kushak Bekula and some ministers also participated in the convocation. As there was not enough place in the Ashram, the Satsang was held outside at some other place. It was very hot and Master was not in good health. Before the Satsang finished, a lot of people already came into the Ashram and sat down to get the first turn for food. The Ashram got crowded up to the outer gate, and Master could not enter into the Ashram. He had to wait nearly fifteen minutes in His car outside the Ashram in the scorching heat of the sun. Then Master came on foot.
When He just entered the resting room, He ordered me to bolt the door from inside. I closed the door. Master sat down and holding both His hands on the head, He took a sigh and said, ‘Better it would have been if I had gone today.’ (It was the birthday of His Master.) I asked, ‘Master, why do you say that? Such things have no place in our heart.’ Master replied,
‘Either the managing committee will live or I.’ (1)
I said, ‘Well Master, You are very tired, let us go upstairs and I will give You a massage.’ Master slowly, slowly went upstairs in His room. There I started giving Him a massage. Holding my hand, Master said, ‘Doctor, check the pulse, for how long will this patient linger on?’ I again asked the Master, ‘After all, why do You mention such things again and again?’ Master slowly told, ‘I have said it.’ Then immediately He said lovably, ‘Master does not leave His children. Be sure that this Power will not leave you.’
Then Master asked about my programme. I told Him that we had come from His agriculture farm at Nawanshar along with thirty disciples from Amritsar and Nawanshar and that they all wanted to go back to work there.
Master said, ‘Today I will not give Parshad to anybody except to those who have come with you from the farm.’ Darshan Singh, the elder son of the Master brought the Parshad, Master told him to leave the Parshad and go. This time Master put His attention on the sweets in the basket for more than one minute and told that no one else should have the Parshad except those who were going back to work.
My usual practice was to take the Parshad afterwards. I and my wife got the Parshad after all others had taken. Master, while giving the Parshad, kept on looking in our eyes and gave many hands full of Parshad. We begged leave, but Master said,
‘Doctor, I have a special work.
Therefore you must be here before August 20.’
As Master was not in good health, He told something which made my heart overbrimming with anxiety and fear. I begged to stay up to that date, but Master refused to accept my opinion. While we were going downstairs, we looked back and saw Master looking at us. His eyes were full of tears. This was the first time we felt uneasy, and we were frightened by the thought of separation. I thought more and more and could not stop thinking, I got entangled and could not come to any conclusion, regarding all those hints Master gave during our stay in Delhi.
On August 17, Bibi Lajo, a devoted disciple of Baba Sawan Singh, came to Amritsar and delivered a message of Master and a message of Tai Ji.
(Note: Bibi Lajo asked Master for some medicine for the wife of one of her relatives as this lady was unable to get children.)
Master told her to meet the doctor there, ‘He will tell you about the medicine.’ Tai Ji told her, ‘Master is getting weak; ask Harbhajan Singh to come soon.’
On August 18, 1974 at midnight, I had to go to my hospital to assist the doctor there. When I came back and and sat on my bed to sleep again, I felt someone pressing my shoulders. I wanted to relax, but I saw Master standing beside my bed. Master told me, ‘Much time passed since we met. See my face (it was pale and yellow) and come soon!’
Bewildered with many thoughts and finding no way out, I rushed to the Master-room to meditate. Before I entered the Master-room, a piece of wood standing near the door fell on my foot and wounded it. I went inside the room while the foot was bleeding. This day immediately Master appeared in my meditation and said, ‘Now I have given you a wound. Compare thereafter whether the pain of the wound is more severe than the pain of the heart.’
My condition was like that of a little lost child, who weeps and wanders, but does not find his mother.
On August 19, 1974 the earliest train which could take me to my ailing Beloved Master, was the train at 12.30 p.m., as I lost my senses and was even unable to drive the car myself.
Master refused to take the medicine
Master’s condition was alarming. All requested Him to take medicine, but Master would not take it. He told them, ‘Dr. Harbajan Singh has told me not to take allopathic medicine. So he will come today and you must wait therefore.’ Those very close to the Master stressed Him and brought one specialist who gave Him four tablets to swallow altogether.
(Note: It was this type of medicine which Baba Jaimal Singh had asked not to take.)
Master refused to take the tablets but all said to the Master, ‘This doctor Harbhajan Singh is a little doctor and he mostly uses the herbal medicines etc. What can he know more?’ But Master said, ‘No, he is God’s doctor.’ All members lovably stressed Master so much that Master took all the four tablets.
Master’s Body started to burn
Fifteen minutes after He had taken the medicine, His whole body started burning like Fire. In spite of that Master did not demand anything from anybody.
When I reached the Ashram and saw Master, I was told, that those allopathic tablets had been given to the Master.
August 19, 1974
During the whole night I remained at Master’s side. But Master kept His eyes closed. Though the doctors administered glucose, Master’s whole body was burning.
August 20, 1974
Master was asked again and again to go to the hospital, but each time Master said, ‘I have no problem, if anyone of you have any problem, tell me, then there is a remedy for it.’
After 3.00 p.m. on August 20, 1974
A doctor was brought from Willington hospital who advised the admission. Master told, ‘Since you have brought the doctor, I must go now.’
(Note: Masters never disobey the natural laws.)
At 3.30 p.m. on August 20, 1974
By the help of a chair Master was brought down to the Mercedes car where He was sitting then on the front seat.
Master requested all people who already had gathered in the Ashram to leave the Ashram and to go back to their homes. Then Master told, ‘I am going to the hospital. Except those who are in the car with me, nobody should come to the hospital.’
(Note: The persons in the car were Tai Ji, Master’s driver, and I.)
Master in Willington Hospital
It was very hot, but suddenly it started to rain and within half an hour the atmosphere got better. We took it for a good omen. Immediately the doctor started the treatment with intravenous glucose. I was sitting beside the bed, but Master kept His eyes closed and did not look towards anybody. The medicine prescribed by the doctor got late, so I suggested the doctor that I may be allowed to bring it myself. At once Master opened His eyes and gave me a sign with His eyes not to go. I felt very happy, thinking that Master was much better now.
Again Master closed His eyes. Sometimes with a little drowsiness Master would try to take away the needle used for the intravenous therapy. Each time I said, ‘Master, it is there to infuse glucose,’ and Master each time told, ‘Okay, no fear.’
While sitting I went on praying to the Master, but I could not put my thoughts together. The condition of the Master got a little bit better, and sometimes I felt that Master was taking rest. Like this it continued the whole night.
August 21, 1974
In the morning Master opened His eyes. Immediately I presented some water to Him. Master said, ‘It is time for tea.’ This time beside me, Tai Ji, Harcharan Singh, Puspa Balwant Singh, and Master’s driver were there. We all felt very happy, thinking that Master now felt well. We brought tea for the Master, but Master refused to take it and said, ‘First you take your food and then I will take tea.’ All of us happily accepted His order, and we took the food. When we had taken the food, the tea was brought to Master, but He refused to take it. At once we got worried, and Master closed His eyes. None of us dared to tell Him again to take the tea. The doctors told that there was no need for tea, since He got everything through the vein.
Only one visitor was permitted
At about 11.00 a.m. on August 21, 1974, Smt Chander Sheikhar M.P. visited the hospital to see the Master. Seeing her, Master at once opened His eyes and sat on the bed, although He was still with the intravenous drip. Master greeted her lovably and two minutes later she went back. Beside her neither any initiates nor any member of His family nor anyone else was allowed to see the Master. All obeyed Master’s order. After 2.00 p.m. the condition of the Master had deteriorated, the doctors told. But His outer appearance showed no sign of any trouble.
My Prayer to Master
I got very uneasy and made a prayer before the Master, ‘In future we will do as You wish. Take pity on us, be healthy.’ At once I realized that my prayer was true. Master opened His eyes and told me, ‘Yes, all right.’
Soon Tai Ji came and seeing the Master, she cried and asked Master, ‘Who will be our Saviour after You?’ Master, holding His finger above, said,
‘He (God Almighty) already did and He will do in future.
You need not worry. He has done everything.’
My hopes dashed to ground and I started praying again and again. Finally I sat in meditation in one corner of the room. I felt His voice resounding in my ear, ‘Don’t be worried, He will not leave you.’ I stood up and went again to Master’s bedside. While standing I at once experienced Master looking at me with a big red eye, like that of the rising sun, and within some seconds I bowed down before the Master. But in the same moment I realized that this is the support for a borrowed servant. As I thought many times if Master would leave us, I would lose my support in the world, since my eyes will never perceive the eyes of anybody.
(Note: If the eyes of the Master and the eyes of the disciple get eye-to-eye, they become one and the eyes of the disciple get pregnant with Master’s eyes, this gives a special vibration.)
After 5.00 p.m. on August 21, 1974
More and more Master’s condition deteriorated. Doctors gathered and started to give some medicine till it was 6.25 p.m. I felt a different vibration which touched my paining heart, I saw the whole room glittering like in golden light, and felt some Powers welcoming the Master.
At 6.35 p.m. Master closed His eyes, then He closed His mouth very tightly, which I saw very clearly, and at once He left the physical body.
Read next chapter: “After August 21, 1974”
Footnotes:
(1) There were all in all seven members in the managing body of Ruhani Satsang, Sawan Ashram, Dehli. Master knew that all would support Darshan Singh and install him as successor. Such experience He had during the life time of His Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj.
He nominated six more persons for the managing body, and asked the managing body to submit the same in the office for the registration. Although Master reminded them many times, they did not submit the list with the registration. Master thus lost His confidence in the managing body.
Master was never interested to give His work in His family. In Satsang tapes and in monthly magazine (Sat Sandesh) exists the statement of Master, ’’None of my family members would succeed Me.”